County Commissioners Approve Easement on Elm Street Bridge

The Montgomery County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a right-of-way and temporary construction easement for PennDOT’s work on the Elm Street bridge in Conshohocken at its meeting on Wednesday.

According to the resolution, PennDOT has determined that it will need access to county property purchased in 1997 to complete work on the bridge, which has been named as part of PennDOT’s Accelerated Bridge Program for structurally deficient bridges.

The right-of-way and easement will net the county $3,100 and $700, respectively.

According to a release from PennDOT, a structurally deficient bridge is safe, but is in need of rehab or repairs to make the bridge meet modern standards.

“Despite a record level of investment since 2003, Pennsylvania has the largest number of structurally deficient in the nation - nearly 5,700 statewide,” the release states.

Rehabilitation work on the bridge, which is located over the Reading railroad line and Plymouth Creek in Conshohocken, began in the fall of 2009. The bridge is currently closed to passengers.